Free, reduced-price school meal eligibility rules released

Eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price school meals for 2011-12 have been established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Families can apply for the program at their schools anytime during the school year. Schools usually send home an application form at the beginning of the school year, but families can apply during temporary periods of income reduction.

Children who are recipients of the state's Family Independence Program or who are enrolled in Head Start, Even Start or an at-risk after-school program automatically qualify for free meals and milk.

Otherwise, families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for free meals, and those between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level qualify for reduced-price meals that last year cost no more than 40 cents.

Those guidelines mean families that qualify for free lunches or free milk include those with, for example, four members and an annual income of $29,055 or monthly income of $2,422, or a family of five earning $34,021 a year or $2,836 per month. For smaller or larger families, take away or add, respectively, $414 per month from the monthly income.

Families qualifying for reduced-price meals include those with four members earning $41,348 a year or $3,446 per month and families of five earning $48,415 per year or $4,035 per month. For each additional family member, add $589 to the monthly income guidelines.